Container closure



A 1944- J. M. HOTHERSALL 2,355,074

CONTAINER CLOSURE Filed Dec. :50, 1939 TT RN'EY Patented Au 8, 19442,355,074 CONTAINER CLOSURE John M. Hothersa-ll, Brooklyn, N. Y.,assignor to- American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of NewJersey Application December 30, 1939, Serial No. 311,882

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to an improvement in hermetic cans orcontainers and has particular reference to a drive fit friction closurecontainer having a cover hingedly secured to a container end wall.

The invention contemplates a metal can or container suitable forvacuumizing and hermetic sealing of powdered and granular materialstherein such as cocoa, coffee and the like, provided with a dispensingopening in its top end closed by a tightly fitted gasket lined coverwhich may be pried loose by the use of a blunt instrument and swung openon a flexible connection secured to the can end and thereafter the coverserves as a hinged captive reclosure.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a hermeticcontainer for powdered and granular materials, wherein the container isprovided with a top end member having a circular dispensing opening foreasy removal of the contents by means of a spoon or the like, whichopening is closed by a compound gasket lined, drive fit cover engagedwith a vertical upturned wall surrounding the opening and arranged toswing into an open or closed. position on a flexi-' ble tab or lugextending from the cover and attached to the can end as by spot welding.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such a can orcontainer wherein one end has a dispensing opening closed by ahermetically sealed captive cover which is easy to pry open for thewithdrawal of its contents without removal of an entire can wall, thevarious improved embodiments of such a can being confined within asingle can end which may be secured to a simple, inexpensive type of canbody by standard closing equipment already installed in the packersplants.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, takenin connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferredembodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a container embodying the presentinvention and illustrating its hinge cover in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the container shown in Fig. 1 having partsbroken away and parts shown in section; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in vertical section of containerparts shown in Fig. 1 as taken substantially along the section line 33in said figure.

The container illustrated in the drawing is a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention. This containercomprises a cylindrical body llclosed at its ends by suitable top and bottom end members. ably madefrom a single sheet of metal formed into tubular shape with itscontacting edges joined in the usual form of side seam joint l2extending longitudinally along the body. Figure 2 of the drawing shows atop end member l3 and a bottom end member l4 secured to the cylindricalbody II by the usual form of end seam joint 15.

The top end I3 is provided with a raised reenforcing panel portion l6(Figs. 1 and 2) which is crescent shape in outline. An annulardownwardly and inwardly sloping section or portion I! located at theinside of the curve of the crescent in the panel l6 merges at its loweredge into an annular countersunk channel including a horizontal wall I8. A circular dispensing opening I9 (see also Fig. 3) is centrallydisposed inwardly of the countersunk channel and is defined by anupstanding wall 2| terminating in an inwardly curled edge or bead 22.

Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing show the countersunk wall l8 the raisedpanel i6 and the curled edge 22 all contained within the overall canheight of the container. The dispensing opening [9 is closed by a drivefit cover 23 and the top of this cover when in closed position is belowthe outer edge or double seam l5 of the container. This constructionpermits stacking of containers one upon the other.

The cover 23 (Fig. 3) has a centrally disposed panel section 24 boundedby an annular channel section 25. A laterally bent wall 26 depends fromthe outside of the annular channel and provides frictional engagementwith the vertical wall 2| of the can end 13 when the cover is appliedfor closing the can. The peripherial edge of the cover wall 26 isoutwardly curled as at 21 (Figs. 2 and 3) to provide a smooth outer edgeor head.

The friction walls 2| and 26 of can end and cover are suitably sized toprovide for the proper tight fit but in addition a gasket or compoundlining 28 carried in the channel 25 provides for a hermetically sealedjoint for sucha friction closure.

A flexible connector or hinge tab 29 provides a captive feature for thecover 23 and is preferably formed as an integral part of the cover.Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawing illustrate such an integral connector ortab 29 as being extended laterally toclosely engage the sloping panelwall ll. Tab

Such a container body II is preferand can end are here shown as beingsecured together by spot welding, as at 3|.

The cover 23 is preferably made, assembled and secured to the can end l3in the can manufacturers plant after which the complete end is shippedto the customer. Such can ends are then secured to a filled container asthe ordinary end is secured by the double seam end joint I5. Thishermetically seals the container,

The filled and. closed container, provided with an end as heretoforedescribed, can be opened easily by means of any blunt instrument used inor around the kitchen to gain access to the container contents. Asuitable pry open instrument 32 is suggested by the dotted outline inFig. 3 which shows the instrument being applied under the curled rim 2'!of the cover. Upon being pried loose from its hermetically sealed joint,the cover 23 may be swung back on the flexible connector 29 to exposefully the container opening l9. Upon the return of the cover to itsformer sealed position, a satisfactory reclosure is obtained.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the Spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, .the form.hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim: a

A pry open hinge cover container, comprising a tubular body having a topend member secured thereto in a double seamed joint, said end memberhaving an annular channel defined by a downwardly and inwardly slopingintegral wall portion merging into a substantially horizontal wall partin turn merging into an upstanding friction wall terminating in aninwardly curled annular bead surrounding a dispensing opening in the endmember, a substantially crescent shaped upstanding integral panelportion in said end member partially surrounding said dispensing openingfor reenforcing and rigidifying the friction wall surrounding theopening, and a captive cover member for said opening having an integraltab fixedly secured within said end member channel to constitute apermanent hinge connection with said top end member, said cover havingan annular channel defined by a central depressed panel part and anouter depending friction wall flange having an exterior drive fitfriction engagement with the upstanding friction wall of said end memberand terminating in an outwardly and upwardly curled bead disposed Withinsaid end member channel and spaced above the horizontal wall partthereof, whereby said cover may be released from closed position byinserting the end of va prying instrument into said end member channelbeneath said cover bead, and a gasket sealing material disposed in saidcover channel in engagement with said inwardly curled end member beadfor hermetically sealing the dispensing opening when said cover is inclosed drive fit position on said end member friction wall.

JOHN M. HOTHERSALL.

